1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi-Function Peripherals) or a printer, and a printing time specifying system equipped with an image forming apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a printing time specifying function for finishing a print process by the time as specified by a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, some image forming apparatuses are provided with a printing time specifying function for finishing a print process by the time convenient to a user. The printing time specifying function makes it possible to effectively use the image forming apparatus because a user can pick up printed paper by making a move after the time as specified.
For example, Japanese Patent Published Application No. Hei 2002-307785 describes a printer system which automatically starts printing in accordance with the finish time as specified by a user and ends the printing at the finish time, while the finish time of printing as specified is used to calculate the starting time from which printing starts with reference to the number of sheets of paper to be printed and the size of print data.
However, in accordance with the conventional technique as described above, if the finish time of printing is set by the printing time specifying function while another printing job has already been scheduled in advance, the time specified printing starts after finishing the previous printing job so that the finish of printing may be delayed after the specified finish time to make nonsense of specifying a printing time. Conversely, it can be considered to give priority to the time specified printing. However, in this case, another printing job is interrupted halfway such that it is inconveniently delayed until the time specified printing is finished.